M.E.M.A. wrote:What were the first post-war tanks like? Some cold-war era Soviet and British tanks?

The first post-war tanks bought were British Charioteer and Comet -tanks. They arrived between 1958 and 1961.

The first Soviet T-54s arrived between 1959 - 1961. Due to the extensive trade between Finland and the Soviet Union most of the equipment purchased hereafter was from the Soviet Union.

M.E.M.A. wrote:What did the crews think and feel about those tanks?

I don't know. I guess the arrival of any modern equipment must have felt very good. The other tanks in use in that time was very worn-out equipment from the war. Having something brand new and - at that time - state of the art equipment must have been wonderful.

Soon the Finnish Defence Forces will sell the old reserved Charioteers and Comets soon at the coming auctions. The tanks' cannons have been deactivized, of course. These have not combat-historical values for Finns, only being the first post-war ones, but they were designed during WW2. I bet that some foreign bueyrs would use them in some war movies.

Ah! That's interesting! Even the Sturmis are in the auction! But they are only some piles of scrap metals. Surely somebody will buy them as spare parts for their Sturmi projects. I bet for non-Finnish ones.